Turn Up the Heat With These 5 Local Hot Sauces

True spice disciples know the best sauce can be found in our own backyard.

By Zarah Kavarana

Published: 06/13/2017

If you’re a real hot sauce aficionado, you know the best bottles aren’t sold in the big-box stores. We picked five locally made sauces that range from sweet-and-smoky to tear-inducing heat, so no matter your preference, there’s something here that’ll bring out your inner fire-loving foodie fiend.

It doesn’t get more local than a partnership between two Valley brands. This small-batch, chipotle-style sauce is infused with organic Crown Maple syrup and sugar. But don’t let the sweet stuff fool you; Red cayenne pepper amps up the intensity for a sweet heat that’s perfect atop chicken and waffles, pork, seafood, or grilled veggies. - $7.95, 8 oz

Brown sugar, cinnamon, and ginger may sound like unlikely ingredients for a hot sauce, but when mixed with red chilies and Scotch bonnet peppers, the heat level doesn’t disappoint. So, what’s the secret sauce? The Ghent-based company sources all of its ingredients from organic and sustainable local purveyors, so you can really feel good about your blazing buy. - $5.99, 5 oz

Two ingredients: That’s all it takes to make a great hot sauce. Though most on the market are vinegar-based, this tasty topping is made solely with locally sourced organic chili peppers and unrefined sea salt. The concoction is naturally fermented to give it that signature hot sauce tang. - $8.99, 5 oz

This Dutchess County brand was recently included on Oprah’s “O” List, and for good reason. Sweet kiwi adds a fresh, yet unexpected twist to this otherwise spicy sauce. Slather it on tacos, or mix it with mashed avocados for instant guacamole. - $5.99, 8 oz

This full and fiery sauce embodies the sentiment of local eating. All vegetables were grown by Millerton’s Hepworth Farms, then transported a mere 19 miles to Kingston for bottling and production. And if cost is keeping you from shopping local, fear not. With a price point under $5, this bottle is the cheapest of the lot, so feel free to stock up. - $4.74, 5 oz